I've had one of those totally wonderful, life-affirming birthdays. One of those ones which just makes you feel like fuck yeah, I've got this.
The day before - Thursday last week - I snuck off from my
mad work schedule to have a very lovely and sophisticated lunch out with my wonderful parents.
We had a magnificent 3 course meal, a glass of delicious wine, lots of silly chat and beamed pride and love at each other for a couple of hours. I'm so proud of them, for being such present parents always, prioritising us and family life for so many years while really finding fulfillment in their own lives too, and I think they're proud of me for many of those same things.
It's a good feeling to turn 41 in the company of both my parents, all of us so very pleased with each other.
It was a mad busy work week - I'm doing multiple jobs again (as you've probably gathered from my absence here). Not nearly as bat-shit crazy as earlier in the year, but different events and clients and priorities - juggling it all. Juggling it all well in fact.
It's a good feeling to turn 41 busy and productive, to feel the marked
progress in my career from this time last year, and markedly from the year before that, to feel validated and appreciated and - dare I say it - a bit like a grown-up really.
But despite the work (or maybe because of) and despite a week of sick husband and daughter (or maybe totally because of), we threw one hell of a birthday party on Friday night!
Early that morning I popped to the flower farm not far from us and filled the house with flowers. I called ahead to hire a standing gas 'mushroom' heater for the evening. And then I worked and worked and worked.
At 14:30 I slammed shut my laptop and rushed to the shops. 3 stops, plus one to collect the heater, and by 16:00 I was home - my car full to bursting, my party taken care of.
Mums and kids from early on - the house full of running and shouting, the stoep full of laughing and goss - later the grown-ups started arriving and after a while most of the kids got dragged yawning home and the adults dug in deeper outside.
There was tomato soup and doughnut cake, bubbly and loads of gin. There was pizza and hysterical giggles and spangly tops and cheeses and home-brewed beer (not by me). There was friends of friends - unexpected party guests welcomed with wine and chicken pie. There was music - and dancing in my lounge with my besties and my daughters. Lemon meringue and shots and illicit cigarettes and fairy lights reflected on the lake.
It's a good feeling to turn 41 with the resources and the confidence (and by gum the venue) to throw myself an epic party, to have so many dearly valued friends come and share it with me, to feel so very loved.
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| My people know me well ... |
It was a very lovely birthday and I'll say it again, because I never for a minute stop appreciating it, I'm a very lucky girl.
